


Arthur's Alone Now

by Eagefrien



Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Adoption, Arthur's going to become a dad because he doesn't know how to cope, Family, Gen, I would like to thank the Ghost pepper server, Lewvi isn't the main ship, Minor Oc's sometimes, Miscommunication, Phone Calls, Since yll inspire mE, So don't come in expecting them to be together, This is mostly Arthur centric, Who am I kidding Arthur's pretty much alone the entire time, a work in progress, i think
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2019-09-28 00:37:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17172527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eagefrien/pseuds/Eagefrien
Summary: The van smells too much like them, his phone keeps going off, and he hasn't been able to get any sleep since he took off, but he isn't going to turn back now, not with all the promises he's been making.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started this in a bout of depression and when people on discord decided they liked it I kept it going. I hope you all enjoy this mess of a story, I know I am.

It was only supposed to be a twenty-minute drive, honestly. Flicking at the radio stations, the song switched to some podcast that he couldn’t remember the name of. And yet, here he was, driving through- probably Oklahoma. The steady rumble of the car filling Arthur’s head as he drove in near perfect silence, not paying attention to anything and allowing his mind to drift, it was a miracle he hasn’t passed out yet. Maybe because he was to allow his mind to do that, did he even have control over that? Odd. Then again, he hasn’t been thinking that much over the past few hours. Why was he so distraught earlier, when he could aimlessly float in a void instead of a mind. His friends were getting together, talking about children, so what? 

It shouldn’t matter to him what they do. 

Then again, that's why he was here right now, wasn't it? To avoid their gleefully happy faces as they went over all the names they could think of. It shouldn’t sting as much as it did now. He didn't touch anything beside him, a small tool kit and first aid beside him in the passenger seat, not even his phone, now set to vibrate.

It was selfish of him, to be upset like this. But honestly, what did he expect? Finding Lewis all those years ago.. It would only bring back to same emptiness he felt when Lewis was alive and huddled up close to Vivi, sitting exactly where Arthur was now. They were in love, childhood sweethearts that never ceased, its only to be expected… 

God, he really need to invest in a more diverse social life. Talking to the same group of people for five years didn’t feel torturous. 

It didn't feel like anything. 

He really should answer his phone, it's been ringing for a while now. 

“Hello,” Arthur couldn’t cringed at the way his throat croaked from lack of use, “Arthur kingsmen here-”

“Wher’ are ya’?” Man, Lance sounded pissed. He should turn around, go back so his uncle didn’t have to worry anymore. HIs knuckled twitched as he envisioned the ditches on both sides of the road. 

“Probably… Arkansas,” Lance made a noise that sounded similar to a dying cat, demanding answers, “I dunno, wanted to go for a drive. I think maybe a really bad bout of.. Somet- nevermind. Its.. It's not worth i-” Once again he cut himself off, and just when he thought he was drained enough to think straight, “I'm visiting some family, remember that one cousin I was talking to you about?... Well, she’s nearing her due date.. Might as well make my way up there to help her.”

“So you ar’ gon’ be taking the kid.”

“Why not,” He had talked to his once removed cousin a lot since she initially reached out, plus.. Maybe having someone around him would help? Wasn’t a complete lie at least, “Plus, she needs support, I think this may be the more difficult stages.” 

“Arth’, you’ve better not be doin’ anything stupid.”

“Nah, I wouldn’t do that to you.” It was silent for a few seconds, before Lance started up again, quieter.

“It’s your buddies, aint it?”

“When isn't it.” There was the smallest hint of resentment in his voice, or exhaustion, probably both, “I thought I’d be over it now… guess I was wrong.”


	2. Still ringing

Arthur let out a long breath of air, eyes drying out slightly from staring so intensely at the road. He hasn't turned the radio back on since he finally picked up Lance’s call… Talking with Lance didn’t help as much as he wanted it to. In fact, it seemed to be the perfect thing his brain needed to latch onto like a leech, because now Arthur was stuck in a never ending cycle of distrustful thinking and bitterness.

_How is running away suppose to help you? As if you are really going to see your family, you’ve always hated children, so why now are you just deciding to-_

**Its family, family doesn’t give up on eachother. No one's been there for her, why shouldn’t I do something. It’d be a better waste of time then the direction we’re already heading.**

_As if, face it, you don't want to face anyone because of your own patheticness._  

**Why’s that? We have emotion, it's our right to have it. Sometimes, people have to leave in order to find the root of their issues, that's what we’re doing now.**

A part of Arthur was disappointed with the lack of trees currently, he wished he could smash the van directly into one. Knowing his luck it would only hurt the tree and wouldn’t put a scratch on him. But the agitation from his own thoughts did nothing but make him more desperate. May be he could browse podcasts again- something peaceful to drown out to or narrative works, even if he’d probably just become annoyed with the person's voice. Or depressed because it sounds a little too familiar or strikes just a _bit_  too close to home and-

His phone rang, and for once Arthur’s hand shot out and quickly answered, needing to hear someone else's voice.

“Arthur!” God, dammit. He should have checked, he _really_  should have checked. With a heavy sigh that held too much annoyance, he responded.

“Hello, Vivi.” “You got some explaining to do, what the hell happened?” _We haven't spoken in weeks_. Okay, partial lie, they’ve barely had small talk in weeks. Doesn’t help really.

“Oh, haven’t you heard? I decided to go on an impromptu road trip. Sorry for not giving you two a thumbs up before I left,” Okay, wow, rude. She scoffed on the other end, and a pang of guilt filled his gut upon hearing it, clearing his throat, Arthur spoke up again, “S-sorry, didn’t mean for it to come out like that. Didn’t mean to make you worry so much.” So much for back peddling.

“Its fine, just- are you alright? Lew and I are really worried about you,” Arthur’s stomach curled at the mention, he shoved down the noise built in his throat as his arm shook.

“Yeah. Im as good as ever. I’ll be back soon, I promise.”

“Doubtful.” His vision was starting to get bleary. Taking a few deep breaths, Arthur tried to focus on keeping his head up over the steering wheel and keeping his limbs from twitching.

“Why dontcha.. just take some time for yourself? You and Lewis that is, it would probably be really, ..really good for your relationship..” Pull over, pull over this isn’t good. His tongue laid dead in his mouth and he wasn’t getting as much air as he needed..! “H-hey, I’m sorry but I gotta let you go..! Uh- just noticed a few troopers on the side of the road.” Good job, jackass.

“Arthie, are you sure you’re really okay?” He didn’t respond, nearly tossing his phone on the other seat as his eyes doubled, throwing the van into park nearly halfway over the side of the road- thankfully not into a ditch. The seatbelt was way too constricting, unbuckling it did _nothing_  to help as he forced himself to sprawl out, stretching across the seat as he let his head fall back. Massaging his temples, ignoring the ring in his ears, he noticed Vivi was still on the line. _Shit_. Now there was no way she wouldn’t be concerned.. _“-Arthur! Hey, what’s going on?”_  Apologize- finish the call, don’t, freak, out. Shakily, Arthur grabbed the small device, unable to keep a steady hand.

“S-sorry about that.. heh.. dunno what came over me.” He lied, legs shaking more. Get outside, sit down- don’t think _don’t do anything-_

“Where are you? We can come pick you up, help you out-“ Arthur nearly kicked open the door, the humid air filling his lungs and nearly suffocated him as he took deep breaths.

“I- no, Vivi. I’m on my way to go see some people. I just- _can’t..!”_  Can’t what? Deal with emotions that he let fester, “I gotta go, I’ll talk to you later.” Without thinking, Arthur hung up and threw the phone back into the van, collapsing onto his knees once they buckled and knocked all the air out of him. Leaving Arthur with a new ache in his chest and more tears in his eyes, and just when he thought they’d dry up.

 

Vivi must have hated him now, or greatly disliked him at that current moment, and Arthur couldn’t blame her, knowing fully well that he’d be pissed if his friends suddenly hung up on him. It didn’t make things better, it never has. But, it would be more easier to ignore the thorny guilt in his gut if a large semi truck didn’t come raging down the lonely roads for him. _Except that they don’t have a semi_. None of them have had any chance to even go near one in the last year or so. So why would he assume they’d come like that.. It didn’t matter too much anyway. He was hours away from anyone he had ever met before.

 

The van was now parked in the far back end of a parking lot, and Arthur was trudging up to the small, desolate building with a few dollar bills in hand. The only place where he would sometimes forget he even existed- the 24-hour convenience stores filled with apathetic and lost souls wandering for purpose-

“Okay, we get it, you’re super-duper depressed with a capital D- just get your fucking snacks.” Voice rasping and strained with tears, Arthur shivered and forced the door open. A familiar, default jingle of a bell alerting everyone of his existence. Just, get your things, forget today happened. No one’s even here- not including the cashier and other hidden staff, but the glaze in their fifty yard stares were evident enough that truly no one existed in these planes.

Oo, hot fudge pop tarts, that’ll probably taste delicious when it’s almost pitch black out.

 

A new spring was in his step as he ambled his way through the parking lot- doing his best not to stumble from buzzing anxiety and possible sleep deprivation keeping his eyes nearly closed. In fact, his eyes stung from the bright fluorescent light in comparison to the blackened sky. Part of him cursed for missing the serene beauty of twilight, but not that he would be able to enjoy it anyway, since his body was steadying to shut down, finally. He could just- sleep in the back of the van if he wanted to. No one could stop him- besides the police. Although he didn’t have too much faith in that notion. Massaging his temples, Arthur crawled into the driver’s seat weakly. The bag’s contents spilled over the seat, but that wasn’t too much of an issue. The packaging for off-brand cookies already joining his makeshift garbage bag beside him. Arthur didn’t get one bite it when his phone startled him awake- the cutesy opening of Sailor moon. If his stomach didn’t hurt before, the amount of twisting it was doing now didn’t help. Mouth going dry and the sweetness of the cookie made him feel as if he were about to vomit. He shouldn’t ignore it- he answered Lance and Vivi.. but, they also weren’t Lewis..

Lewis…

Curling his fingers around his robot arm, Arthur took deep breaths, leaning back and clenching his eyes shut. Lewis can’t scold him if he doesn’t pick up.. And he can't pick up if he can't get to the phone right now..

He really was an awful friend, wasn’t he?

* * *

 

 

Arthur turned his head up, unable to remember when he fell asleep. The stiffness in his head reminding him that he really should try to start sleeping regular hours and on the mattress he got specifically for the van so they could... Arthur sighed, forcing himself up and roughly rubbing his eyes. No use worryin' over the others, just- focus on the bright lights. Forcing his eyes open, Arthur glanced at the window- the glare striking his eyes mercilessly. Ah- so that's what it is. A group of youngsters were prancing around their car, jumping onto each others shoulders and stumbling into the convenience store from earlier. Sorta like him- even if he hadn't left just yet. Still, Arthur snarled and covered his eyes with his arm, flinching at the coldness across his skin, silently cursing out whatever twenty-somethings were doing at.. whatever time it was. The car lights of the neighboring car died down, leaving Arthur in the light darkness. He drifted off, ignoring the noise from outside. Only for him to jolt awake from the sailor moon theme song blasting in his ear. _Did he not silence his phone? Shouldn't it have died by now?_  

Groaning, Arthur gripped the small device and held it up to his ear.

“He-llo?”

 _“Arthur.”_  His heart dropped, and any amount of tension he felt amplified to the point his limbs ached. Before he could even think to mumble something, the ghost continued. “I just want to know what possessed you to pull a stunt like this.” Yeouch. If the accusation wasn't bad enough, the static filling his ear certainly was. The hairs on his neck stood up. Lewis continued, strained from unrelenting fury: “Certainly, you have a good reason. Well, let's hear it.” Arthur was out of breath again, god- just say something, anything..!

“U-uhm.. I.. I'm out- family business and things like that..”

“Bull shit.”

"What- no it's not!" He quickly jumped to defend himself, even if he couldn't physically see them- Lewis's presence was filling the space around him. Maybe this could be easier if he was actually there in the seat next to him, actually on second thought, Lewis would probably ring his neck and beat him until he was numb if he was.

"Sure, and my name is Luis, " The man hissed, sounding as if he was gritting his teeth, and he still struggled to form words. Apparently, taking a tad too long since the stern and ruthless voice filled his ears again, "I need a _response_ , Arthur." Turns out, waking up in the middle of the night wasn’t great for negotiating dangerous topics with your (ex-) best friend.

“Fuck you, dude.” Arthur snarled, running a hand through his hair as his teeth grit in place. “I don’t have to fill you two whenever I decide to do shit. Nor, do I have a reason to put up with this.”


	3. The roarin' twenty-somethings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, interesting people gather at convenience stores, and some are eager to be friends.

The words came out too quickly, honestly he didn't mean to say it. 

"Excuse me?"  But Arthur seriously has had enough with this. 

"You heard me, Lewis. I'm done with this shit." He hissed, the words tumbling out of his mouth as his lungs strained to breath- both too full and still not holding anything. The pent up rage and resentment bubbling through his veins as his arms began to shake. "Why does it even _matter_  to you?" A brief moment of silence, then Lewis audibly sighed, and Arthur could feel the eye roll through the phone, doing his best to restrain any curses he had building under his tongue. 

"My best friend suddenly decided to take off with no warning. Arthur, we're concerned about you, all of us," _But you aren't_. "Everyone has been calling you non-stop for hours- Vivi has only now gotten a hold of you, just so you could spit in the face of her efforts." Arthur grit his teeth, sucking in his teeth as he clenched his eyes shut. The twenty year olds from before are back- stumbling into their bright-ass car that Arthur desperately wanted to destroy at that moment. It certainly wasn't helping that his eyes burned and his tear ducts ached. 

"I'm visiting family. I told her, and I told Lance. Happy?" 

"No, I'm not, Arthur-"

"Then what do you want me to say? Cause last time I tried to-.." Mmm, not the best time, not the best time at all, don't fucking go there Arthur, you're going to crash. Without thinking, Arthur ripped the keys out from wherever it was and shot it into the back. Not the smartest decision, but who could make those when having a sleep deprived argument. Lewis's voice had gotten deadly low.

"What was that?" He shouldn't say it. He shouldn't have said _anything_.

"I said-" Arthur began, unsure of his phrasing or what he was saying in the first place. In seconds, he stopped caring, a deadly apathy spreading over him once again as his mind went blank, only supplying what was needed, "I said, the last time I tried to- to explain shit, you.. Shit- _I_... felt like you guys didn't give a damn. Before that, I destroyed everything for you, and I.."

"You still aren't over that, are you?"

"No. No I am not Lewis," Lewis was about to speak again, Arthur didn't let him, "I'm still plagued with nightmares, Lewis. Of the cave, of the chase, of the mansion- everything. I barely sleep and being awake is a chore. I haven't had the opportunity to.. to see hope and I go every day knowing how impossibly selfish it is." 

"You could have. Lance has been trying to get you to therapy for years." Lance has been doing that, Arthur stiffened as a new wave stung at his nerves, he hasn't been doing anything to help himself, has he? "Last time I checked, someone here rejected that opportunity." Falling silent, Arthur continued to listen to the lack of breathing, rampaging thoughts stampeding in his ears, things he could say, defenses... excuses. _Own up to it. At least do that for him_. Arthur struggled to open his mouth and say something, jaw locking and throat filling with sand. 

"...Yep," Losing his composure, he leaned against his seat again, bringing his knees to his chest. "You got me there, but- but what do you want me to do? I woke twelve hour shifts nearly everyday, I wouldn't have time to go to therapy. Plus, what do you want me to tell them? 'Hey, I murdered my best friend and it's been a couple years but I still want to chuck myself off a building every minute of everyday.'"

"You didn't murder me, Arthur. We came to that conclusion years ago-"

"It was still my arm. It was still my body used as a vessel, and I was still the person you blamed for years! ...Can't say I blame you, either." The moonlights' glinting against the mirrors, reflecting directly into his eye. "How am I supposed to live with that..?" Chest was burning more, and tears slowly slid down his face, "how am I supposed to live with the fact that even if I didn't intentionally do it, I stole my best friends life and I ruined everything for everyone... and I don't know how to fix things anymore, i'm lost and confused and no-" He had to stop, pushing the phone into the cushion as he struggled to regain his breath, panting through strained sobs that ruthlessly tore through his head. It all hurt. It hurt so god damn much and there wasn't anything he could do to fix it. Lewis was talking again, he couldn't hear it, part of him didn't want to hear it. His hand was trembling. The phone was slick and cold. He didn't have anything to say for himself. Nothing at all. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" His voice was tense, the lift in his voice made him want to vomit. 

"For- for all that." He wanted to add something. To say something to make this better.

"You do realize Vivi will try to find you right?"

"...Yeah. I figured as much." 

"Even more so, now that you told me that you've been suicidal."  

"I'll do you one better, I've had to restrain myself from crashing into the ditches on the side of the road. Pretty difficult." Both of them were quiet, just for a moment. It felt like when they were teenagers, calling eachother at four in the morning to talk, or in search for comfort.. Talking to each other about anything, planning their futures; how they'd propose, what types of houses they would want to live in, how they wanted to include each other in those futures. The somberness was familiar and lovely, for those few moments. 

 

"Arthur, you aren't wrong," Wrong about what? "I do blame you for my death. For your inability to keep yourself stable when we went in, and allowing whatever was in that cave into your heart. For never taking initiative in your life, and keeping so many secrets. Allow me to be the first one to tell you this, I would rather you never come back."

He hung up. 

Could have gone better. 

 

If Arthur wasn't worried about getting sleep before, he sure was now. The phone call left his stomach in knots and a hole in his heart, more so with so much buzzing in his skull. He shouldn't have said anything to him, shouldn't have made a big deal out of it. Should have simply told him that he was sleeping and dealt with it in the morning.  _I would rather you never come back_. Huh. And just when he thought he had done enough crying that night. He gave up on trying to keep his cool in the driver's seat and had long since sobbed his heart out into one of the pillows. Well, the pillow continued to fill with tears as he laid there, curled up as his muscles throbbed in time with his heart, painfully beating in tune to a sad playlist he randomly chose. Easier to play off the tears. To who? A stranger, those weird youthful kids, his friends, family, god, _him_. Would anyone care? No. But knowing he had an excuse for the awful pain in his stomach and the ugly expressions he kept making and the terrible screeching- Another sob. He buried his face into the blanket, both trying to wipe his face and squeeze out as many tears as he can. Miserable and tired. 

It didn't hurt as much as previous encounters with his emotions, but it certainly hurt enough. He had barely ate anything earlier when he bought those sugary snacks and the hunger was hitting him full force, curling him over his stomach as he wished for anything to help end this misery. His phone was still ringing. Every time a familiar ringtone filled the car he would buckle over with fresh tears streaming down his face. The headache afterward was going to be horrendous. Maybe he would dissociate hard enough to drive all the way to Wisconsin. Maybe he'll crash, maybe he'll have a heart attack.

Arthur didn't care too much. 

He just desperately needed to get out of this fucking van. The air was stuffy and he could feel Vivi and Lewis all around him, as if they were haunting him. Maybe he would could camp out at some motel a few miles down, crash there for a few hours and then.. take off for another.. 

What was he thinking. 

Get out. 

"Thank god that's over.." The headache pounded against his skull instantly, throwing him off his balance when he attempted to stand up, stumbling toward the wall of nick-nacks and weapons, catching his balance before he collapsed into one of the blades. Can't do that to the family he's visi- can't do that to his future _child. Remember that, Arthur, you're doing this for the kid you are adopting._  Arthur reminded himself that he really should start looking more indepth to these issues, since the most adoption experience he's ever had was getting Galahad. Rolling his eyes to himself, Arthur pushed open the back doors and climbed out. Shivering, he walked up to the convenience store again, vision tunneling on the best looking brownies he's ever seen (they really weren't, but after that he would take anything like it was made out of god's tears). Ready to joke around with the poor unfortunate soul of a cashier for his blubbering self, he cracked a loopy smile and forced himself to keep straight. 

"Good morning, sir." The nasally voice snapped him back to reality, ripping his attention to a small group of neon clad.. teenagers? The one who started talking to him was sat on the curb, waving at him with smeared makeup and a cigarette, sporting unbelievably messy hair and dressed entirely in reds and browns. It definitely caught him off guard, and he made sure to wave back as he stepped into the store again, kinda hoping they'd be gone by the time he came out. 

They weren't. Which sucked a lot since he desperately wanted to sit down. Loitering around the store front, he decided to take a spot furthest from them, but with the van still in sight, just to ensure that no one tries to take it. Not that they'd get very far, since the orange and yellow paint is the most gaudy thing and the logo could be spotted for miles. Still, it just made him feel better. Plopping down on the cement, Arthur pressed his palm to his forehead, massaging it lightly. Thankfully, his thoughts relaxed enough for him to zone out a tad, even if his attention kept shifting to the four people wandering around each other. They all had a weird monochromatic feel to them. The person who waved to him earlier- Red Kid, wasn't there anymore, maybe went inside. Sitting alongside the icebox was a taller kid dressed primarily in light green, talking to an even brighter salmon pink fellow. All while a stout grey person jogged laps around the lot- probably high out of their mind. What on earth are they all doing awake right now? Its- .. probably way too early for late night runs. He glanced over at their car, both beat up and polished, sleek purple cover in dust. He glanced down, half expecting a missing license plate. Why'd he think that there wouldn't be one? The kids are adults, but they probably aren't criminals- unless they're also quirky ghost-hunters.. Hopefully not. There was no way he could deal with more of those after running away from his own ghost- related issues. 

His attention perked as he realized the light inside of it was on, blasting out as if it needed to replace the sun. The red one from before hunched inside. From what he could tell, they were searching for something. The suddenly pop out from the car door, slamming the door shut and glaring daggers into the ground. Taking a sip of his water bottle, Arthur debated on returning to the van. Stomach twisting, he starts to get up. 

"Hey guys-" Stay put- don't- get inside so you don't have to deal with this. Salmon and Green turn their heads up, gazing at the furious person cautiously, "so- still talking about that priest thing? Even though, we just got out of a case where half of us almost died?" Hold on, a case? Lowering his head, Arthur pretended to be fiddling with something in his hands, he knew he shouldn't, but they're also the ones who are doing this in a parking lot. Salmon- girl? They're in a skirt and it was too dark to properly guess, Salmon girl made a small comment he barely picked up, before being quickly drowned out by red again.

"What do I mean? Well, for starters, just a few hours ago we were running for our lives away from maniacs trying to turn Darren into the walking vessel for a some demon to wipe out humanity!" They said, voice growing louder and more frantic as the two- the gray one had paused closer to him, eyeing the group from a far, "and I'm starting to get a bit more concerned with how little everyone here is eating, and how our addictions are growing a bit too out of control since maybe, just maybe we're spending so much fucking time out in the middle of goddamn nowhere." 

"Pop-"

"Doesn't help that a few of us are noticing these things," 'Pop' began again, arms stiffening as they stood there, taller than a tree, "and I get it, I do. I'm also all about putting a stop to bad and malicious things, but this isn't healthy, and you'd be dead wrong if you think I'm alright with that." 

Gray ran inside. 

"God-dammit, how have you guy's not looked around? Taken a good fuckin' look at the way that Darren's constantly high because of all the fucked up shit we put him through. He was almost sacrificed, and yet it's looked over as if it's nothing- _my fucking face, was burnt_ \- I cannot see out of one of my own damn eyes and yet you two are here planning on the next dead end! How does that not even _phase_  either of you." 

"Of- of course we care, wha-"

"Kumar, if it wasn't for that power outage, you'd be flayed alive right now and left for the rats." _What the fuck where these kids doing in their spare time?_

"But everything still turned out okay-"

"Look at my face." They stepped forward. Hair now out of their face. The two fell silent. "I have been branded- I've been _branded_ , I have to wake up every day and look into my own face and see this scar, and I'm forced to remember last night. I can't help, but be so infuriated that I'm having panic attacks every two seconds. I get one quick once over and then you both are off to take another gig. I'm tired of it, and I know-" They stopped short. Fist clenching, they dropped their head, and stormed past them. Into the store. Salmon and green stood there quietly, sliding back into their places, quiet and- and surely they weren't still discussing cases, were they? But- Arthur averted his gaze again, heart racing. Sure, confrontation does make him nervous but he could hardly breath. How many times has he wanted to say that to people in his life? Too many times to count... Mind swarming with too many thoughts, Arthur tried to think of anything else except for the two people haunting his memories. Every connection would lead to the morning spent planning in the Pepper Paradiso or late nights relaxing in the Tome Tomb.. Where these kids like that too? What did Pop mean, they were branded... without thinking, Arthur reached over and gripped his wrist, relishing in the cold stinging from it. Never thought he would be glad to have a prosthetic- No, no stop.

The glass door suddenly opened, Pop wandering out with a rather large bag. They glanced toward their friends before obviously looking at Arthur, still clearly in a mood. Shit. Quickly glancing away, Arthur dug into his pocket for his phone- the one he purposefully left in the van. Shit. He sighed before his attention snapped to a crinkling plastic bag suddenly was dropped next to him. Now beside him, the red kid got to work on pulling out its contents.

"Hey- didn't mean to bother ya', but you looked a little sad. I hope you like beef jerky." Glancing between them and the bag- a two liter of some fizzy generic soda placed in front of him, Arthur was at a loss for words. Weren't they just exploding with anger two seconds ago? 

"What? You- just decided to buy me stuff?"

"You looked sad,"

"Because I looked sad." 

"Uh-huh. I'm the only sad person allowed to exist here tonight. So back off." They hissed dryly with a giggle, moving to stand up and leave. Huh, that's interesting. Especially after their outburst.. before Arthur could think to stop himself, his mouth was open. 

"Why are you sad, then?" Arthur asked,  patting the space beside him before resting his elbows on his knees, too tired to deal with his own issues but not tired enough to not console this teenager. They're obviously dealing with some stuff, things that hit too close to home. They grimaced, biting their lip as they sat down, looking mostly at the ground across the lot. Arthur followed their gaze to the two talking from before. They were glancing over at them, watching quietly, before salmon dispersed, lighting a cigarette and sitting down on the hood of the car. 

"Sorry about earlier. It was shitty of me for do that..." Pop mumbled, pressing their chin into their palm, "It's mostly Stupid stuff, really. Feeling' a bit guilty, and a lot shittier now about it, sorry." Is that the real reason they bought him things? As an apology?

"Oh yeah? Tell me about it." Arthur grumbled, his stomach grumbling nearly as much, so he dug into the bag and pulled out some- pretzels. They bite their lip, staring at the ground. 

"We're involved with a lot of dangerous things, and I get the feeling that some don't care about how it's affecting everyone. I'm worried about all of us, doesn't help that I pretty much forced myself to go along- er, my bad. I'll shut up now."

"I asked you to talk about it. Don't worry about it. Why'd you force yourself to go?"

"Because, I really like them, just- they're together. I think. I wanted to get over it- but It hasn't worked out so much." That's a familiar development, he bitterly shoved more of the salt in his mouth. "Like I said, stupid shit. That, on top of all the cult stress, I haven't been able to cope well."

"Why don't you tell them?"

"Because they know already."

"What? They- they know you're into them, and- and that's just it?"

"Well, they don't like me back, so I'm not really sure what to do.. Although- I am... going to take a break from them when we get back home." They leaned up partially, staring whimsically at the cars and the moon, and Arthur briefly caught a glimpse at the mark on the side of their face. Arthur's heart sped up, telling himself to look away out of respect- the _branding_. A deep and horrible burn, which stuck out considerably from their olive skin and brown eyeliner. Poor kid.. What lead to them getting that? The most recent case they went on? Probably would be best to not ask, it was clearly too sensitive of a subject, and he figured she wouldn't want to be bothered on it- probably would get a million questions per day on it. Arthur was sure as shit not about to be one of them. "Plus, things have gotten awkward, anyway.. so I'm looking forward to heading back."

"Where are you from?"

"Idaho." His head popped up in surprise, a new light drawing his gaze to the phone they had out. Suddenly, he was gazing down at a photo of Pop along with several others. He recognized three of them as the scattered group- Gray just ran back outside. That was a long drive away, and they were now stuck with the guilt and frustrations of their friends. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to deal with all of this." 

"It's a messy situation, I.. I guess you just have to talk it out with them." Arthur suggested, leaning over his legs a bit more and shoving more snacks in his mouth. Pop went silent for a few moments. 

"I plan on it. Even if I have no clue how to approach the subject, can't avoid it now." Arthur snorted lightly, but waved for her to continue, "Maybe I'll talk to them when we get to the hotel tonight, then just... maybe try to go to the airport? I dunno.. It's going to be awkward leaving everyone, but I don't know how much I can deal with all of this."

"Just be honest, be respectful- but, you can't go wrong with telling them about your worries-"

"What about you?" 

"What about me?" Suspicion laced his voice without him meaning to, but Arthur did everything he could to avoid her gaze now. 

"Why are you here? At least- are you and the Mystery Skulls on another case?" His eyes widen, quickly turning to face the younger with confusion, urgency and a little panic. How the hell did this kid know about them? Their cases- What? "I heard you guys went on hiatus after.. after Lewis disappeared, no matter what, no one in the community could find you guys. Everyone thought you all fell off the face of the map- there was a huge conspiracy for a while." Pop mumbled, eyes narrowing as she bit her lip, Arthur cringed when they mentioned Le- his friend, he shoved it down and instead honed in on the fact that this person knew him and his group..

"That's news to me, in what community?" She winced upon hearing it, and shrugged slightly.

"The weird supernatural-hunters. You guys have a pretty big fanbase, and everyone kinda freaked out when you all stopped updating. I think Vivi was mostly in charge of the social media aspect of it all.." Oh. That, that made sense, he could barely remember her mentioning it over the years. It was a 'Lewis and Vivi' thing more than anything, so he wasn't shocked that no one else kept him informed on it.. "When- when news got out that Lewis.. you know, a bunch of people thought it had something to do with cult going around.. but, no one could find anything. So- me and my friends all went out and tried to.. tried to find clues and.. and your friend." 

"You.. you guys started doing this- cult hunting thing, because... because you were looking for Lewis?" The bitterness of the name stung too much for his liking, but he can't mask that bitterness with pretzel salt, 

"Yep, and... I wanted to ask... sorry if this is at all really nosey or disrespectful.. Did you guys ever find Lewis?" 

"Yes." They barely finished the sentence before Arthur spat out the word, too tired to back peddle, his mouth began moving a bit too quickly for him to stop, "I actually left because we did. I needed.. a break from everything, let them readjust." It's been nearly four years. They all had plenty of time to readjust.  _I hope you never come back_. Arthur snatched the two liter, taking a swig of the coke, hoping the burn would take his mind back to the present. It did nothing but fill his head with fizzle. 

"Really? I'm happy for ya, but... You guys were in Texas.. That's a lot of- a long way from here-" 

"Poppy!" Both of their heads pop up as salmon and green stepped up to them, guilt painting their faces. Pop- Poppy, sighed, and straightened up as well, face straight and calm, even if the anxiety radiating off them was growing more noticeable by the second. 

"We-" The two shared a glance, before inevitably falling back down on them, mouths hung ajar as they searched for the words to fill the silence. Green dropped to their knees, curling their fingers around Poppy's shakier ones. He- he really should give them some space. It's not right for him to be apart of this scene, but before he could shuffle away, a flurry of words struck him to the cement.

"We're sorry-" It came out in shaky breaths, and soft tear lines were sliding down Salmons face, as they reached down and grasped Poppy's shoulder, whos eyes widen at the contact. "We- we shouldn't have let this happen, to you, to Darren.. It wasn't right for us to keep putting you guys through this, hasn't been. Is.." 

"What can we do to make this up to you?" Salmon asked, their eyes piercing and sharp, yet filled with a familiar kindness. Their eyes obscured by their hair, and if he wasn't watching he would have missed the quick glance in Arthur's direction. Arthur stiffened. Get up, this isn't a place for you right now. Leave them be. Finally, his body started to cooperate, wordlessly, Arthur stood up and found himself walking again. 

The cold metal clanged against his arm. The inside of the convenience store so much colder than the humidity outside, and Arthur's legs moved without warning. The freezing atmosphere filling his lungs as he nearly gasped for anything to make this bitterness cease. Maybe get some water- shit, he left his wallet in the van, and he didn't have any money on him.. Arthur gripped his teeth at the thought of interrupting the group outside, but- he.. _No, c'mon Arthur, stop being like that! They don't care, just go out, grab what you need and take off,_  Arthur gave a quick wave before he flung open the door again.  _Do you some good to turn off that phone too, charge it maybe.._  The warm air smacked him in the face but Arthur kept his focus set on the orange paint of his van, yet he was still unable to drown out the plethora of noise bursting now- a gang of motorcyclists were now pulling into the lot. _Great, as if these scene needed more people. Just focus on the ground, Arthur, keep a hold of yourself. You're alive, and so are people, don't worry-_

".. As I was- wait, hold on, Arthur!" Arthur turned with a jolt, just as Poppy suddenly jogged away from her group, with a contrasting grin over her face, "Hey, I wanted to apologize again."

Stifling a noise of panic, Arthur kept his gaze trained on her, nodding slightly. "For what? You didn't do anything."

"For mayhem," She offered, "Now, I didn't give you a chance to actually tell me why you're also depressed, and since you let me vent, now I'm your friend," Her phone was suddenly shoved into his hands, a contact screen with **Arthur- Mystery Skulls** labeled at the top, "but, we never got to you and you're reasons. So i'll make sure to harass you on it later and help out when I can." The sincerity through him for a loop, and without thinking Arthur blurted out;

"Are- are you sure?" His fingers were moving without his input, typing in his phone number, which might've been a mistake on his part, but he kept going without second thought. 

"Of course, plus, you've already seen our drama, might as well keep you updated," Poppy took back her phone with a smile on her face, before suddenly patting him on the arm, "And hey, good luck." He should say something comforting back. Anything.

"Yeah, you too. Don't strain yourself too much." Fuck. Good job asshat, now get before you trip or something. 

 

Taking quick and ragged breaths, Arthur quickly unlatched the door, plopping into his seat. Dread welling up in his stomach before finally turning to the cushion beside him. The phone- no new calls for about forty five minutes.. Was he really out that long? Or even longer? _Oh well, plug it in-_ The screen lit up at his touch, and Arthur gasped, eyebrows flying into his hairline as he noticed the most recent message.

Good evening, Arthur. I understand if you do not respond to this. Just remember that I will always be a lending ear if you are ever in need of consoling. - Sage Pepper. 

Why on earth is Lewis's mother trying to help him? Arthur blinked, relaxing slightly as he leaned back in his seat, contemplating his next actions carefully.. He shouldn't call her- Lew- everyone back home would be furious, he couldn't do that! But- she's the only one who wasn't blowing up his phone! Sure, everyone also went to bed, so... no, she's probably asleep by now. Its nearing midnight! Scratch that- it's one in the morning. _Shit. Make up your mind_. He dropped his phone in his pocket and sighed, too strained to breath properly, much less make a proper decision. Sighing for the upteenth time again, Arthur stretched across the seats, picking up his ratty wallet and checking it- only a few twenty dollar bills and a gift card. Yet again his stomach grumbled, and Arthur tossed the thing into the same bag of treats from earlier that night. He should have grabbed healthier snacks. Oh well, not much he can do about now than get over it and plan better for the future. Arthur frowned lightly, tapping his foot to a song stuck in his head. A few minutes pass, before he reached down and dialed Mrs. Peppers number, listening to the rings mindlessly. 

He didn't expect someone to actually pick up. 

"..Good evening, Arthur. Give me a few seconds," She rasped, clearly having just woke up, Arthur didn't respond, listening calmly as the traces of guilt seemed to float away, "How are you?"

"I- I'm alright, ... I wanted't talk to you, but if it's not a good time then-"

"It isn't an issue, Arthur." He fell silent, unsure of what to say anymore. "I'm glad you've call me, so, what did you want to talk about?" he took a deep breath, so thankful that she didn't bring up anyone, his questions left on the tip of his tongue.

"I was just, wondering... why you sent that message.. I appreciate it, don't get me wrong, but I... you've heard about my situations, haven't you?" The uncertainty on his voice made him cringe.

"I have," Arthur brought one of his knee's to his chest, pressing his cheek against the scratchy fabric, "Lance had informed me of your decision to adopt. I'm happy for you."

"Heh, yeah.. but... he told you.. _other_  reasons too, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did, I just pictured you wouldn't want to think about those things right now. I understand how difficult it has been for you lately." _Yeah, killing a person would do that,_ Arthur didn't say that, hiding his face in his knee now, sniffling softly. 

"Th-thank you.. I feel awful about it, but I- I.. uh.."

"Couldn't handle the stress?"

"Yeah," 

"Arthur," Her tone grew sharp, but it lacked any edge that would have warned him that he was in trouble, like when he and Vivi use to wake them in the middle of the night because they were too loud, "I can't sit back and allow you to drive yourself up a wall, you're like a son to me. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did nothing. In fact, you should take as much time as you need away from Tempo. Relax, connect with your family, and use that time to find yourself." 

"Mrs- I.. did... did Lewis.. tell you stuff as well?"

"He did, and I've already had a talk with him based on how he might have spoken to you. He did explain that you two hardly have a relationship anymore, and what is there, is tainted and filled with ill-will. Am I correct on that assumption?"

"Yes, you'd be right on that.." She sighed, making him flinch into his leg, before nodding, "It's... we never really got any better after that.. after I.. the incident."  _The incident_. The 'incident' wasn't a great name, it didn't carry the same amount of weight to convey the amount of malice and devastation packed into that cavern. Who knew a single night could permanently alter _everything_.

Arthur really didn't deserve anyone's forgiveness for what he's done, "I don't think we'll ever be okay." She was silent for a few seconds.

"I understand, the future always seems gloomy, and.. you do have a very delicate issue at hand," It was obvious that she didn't know how to respond, Arthur couldn't blame her, "But, did Lewis say anything to you?" His hair prickled at the question, and the bitterness was back in his teeth.

"Its- it's not-"

"I can assure you, Arthur, it will not upset me, I only want to help you." Arthur couldn't beat that, with a silent nod, he said it in a hushed voice.

"He told me to never come back." He slouched when she made a mix of a scoff and a laugh, which shifted to a gentle sigh.

"Is that so? Well, as his mother, I have the authority to tell you- when you are done with your stay, and are prepared to bring home your new child, you are to be at my doorstep. I'm eager to meet my new grandchild." He snorted, and he sat upright.

"Since- since when are they you're gran-kid?"

"Since the day you and Vivi became my children."

"That so?" He laughed, unable to stop thinking about the warm hues of the Pepper Paradiso, god, how he wanted to rush back there just to see it. But- he can't now... not when Mrs.Pepper wanted him to return with a child in tow. The thought made his chest warm, just enough to make him giddy. 

"Of course, i've considered you all my children for as long as you all have been coming in. I wont allow for you to drift away from us, Arthur." 

"Th-thank you,"

"You're welcome, Arthur. Now, you should get some rest, it's nearly two am." He laughed aloud now, and agreed. His eye's were drooping now, and he simply wanted to collapse after everything today. 

"Good bye, Mrs. Pepper."

"Sage, to you, and sleep well, goodbye." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha! Finally on the last day of break I present to you: A lot.   
> I fairly enjoyed writing out this chapter, which was meant to be much shorter than it turned out to be, haha, that's partially to blame of @Marianamystery who helped me flesh out the purpose of Poppy and her gang. Feel free to ask questions, I'd love to answer!


	4. 2 am

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur's crashing, and someone can't sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS SORRY FOR THE WAIT SCHOOLS BEEN KICKING MY ASS HOPE Y'ALL ENJOY IT

_1.46 am_

He really shouldn't be driving anymore, the road growing too swirly as his eyes drooped. Shoulder’s sinking, Arthur’s vision grew darker and harder to make out. His foot gradually pressed onto the gas, not noticing the van speeding even faster until mere seconds later when his head shot up. Eye's wide and bug eyed, Arthur glared out into the highway as if he didn’t notice how _fast_  the world was zooming past him. With a deep ragged breath, Arthur gently applied the brakes. In front of him was long stretches of concrete with quite a few people out and about. Just enough for him to straighten up again and run his hand through his hair, tugging it in a vain attempt to wake himself up. Sighing lightly as he slowed down enough to not speed into the side of the road. _You know, it would also be good if you- you know- had a GPS so you actually knew where you were going._  He huffed, leaning forward to glare ahead into the abyss, searching for the elusive green sign that would direct him to a place to get some coffee and avoid crashing into the road. _Yeah, great first step to parenthood, Artie! At this rate, your kid is gonna be batman-_  well, Bleery's kid... unless she already found a to- be parent. Grinding his teeth, Arthur tried to ignore the twisting in his gut. The pain was much harder to shrug off than he initially expected, since it was a combination of anxiety, junkfood, sadness and hunger. Maybe a burger would help him focus.. unless eating something would make him more tired, if that's the case, Arthur will gladly let his stomach eat itself before he would give himself more reason to pass out.

Nerves bunching up, his throat dried as a thought suddenly came back to slam into him like a ghastly bag of bricks. It's been cycling through his mind a few times at least- he never checked in with Bleery to see if he still had the opportunity to adopt the child. Not only that, he's going when she's only six months pregnant. He would have to wait four months to even get the chance to see the kid- much less take them home. And what if he can't bring himself to take them out of Wisconsin. Would he really just- opt to live the rest of his life in the opposite side of the country? He can't just _abandon_  everyone like that. Swarmed with doubts and lies and self deprecation that rushed to fill his mind in a horrifying storm cloud he could barely see past. Honing in on the road ahead of him, Arthur held his breath and drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. Only to be broken when a loud blaring noise interpreted his thoughts. _Large semi- large semi, pink fire-_  

Arthur screeched, van swerving, mind racing as he merged to the next lane urgently and continued driving, staring ahead blankly before he finally could breathe again. _Fuck, he can't do this._  Arthur hadn't slept since four in the morning yesterday... now it was nearly two again- _How did he manage to stay up so long?_  He hasn't been able to stay up past twenty hours since they found- _reformed_  the Mystery skulls… at least, not without risking passing out and not being able to get up for a while. Arthur couldn't remember when it began to occur, but they all wrote it off as it being a curse. Of course, playing around with ghosts and spirits always had his drawbacks- _Thank christ an exit._

 

Arthur bit his lip as he drove focusing as much attention as he could without sending him into shock. This wasn't good. His paranoia was off the charts, and his mind wouldn't give him time to relax. _Focus, look for a store, like a walmart- or some parking lot._  Arthur desperately needed to go to bed, or else he was going to die at the hand of sleep deprivation and paranoia. Memory dwindled considerably over the past few hours, and now he couldn't remember the last thought that he had just moments before. 

 

The mattress was far from comfortable, some would argue it's the worst, but honestly, Arthur was more than grateful to have anything to rest his head on. A thick and slightly damp blanket laying heavily over his shoulders, Arthur listened to the sound of his own heartbeat, which filled the silence and halted the wandering his mind’s been up to recently. In the front seat, his phone was plugged in. He had texted Bleery, told her to message him later, made sure to mention that it had to do with adopting. Then he laid down and simply told himself to fall asleep. 

 

It didn't always work, but Arthur was on the verge of passing out anyway. 

 

Now he was on his own. 

 

Arthur didn't remember when he fell asleep.

  
  
  


_2:03 am_

Calling Arthur really shouldn't have upset him as much as it did. Then again, it was the only thing to occupy Lewis's thoughts now that Vivi had fallen asleep, leaving him alone to wander in the quaint home. He paced through the kitchen, obsessively scrubbing the counters as his thoughts returned once again to the same mechanic he's been focused on all day. Snarling, he furiously dug at an unnoticeable stain across the table as he visibly puffed up smoke, face scrunched up in a silent rage.  _Family business, what a joke!_  Who was he trying to fool? Lewis certainly wasn't going to be one them. His mind raced as his fist's tightened. The sponge squeezing out enough water to puddle on the floor. When he noticed, he sighed, placing the worn material on the counter and crouching up to clean his mess, Lewis glared into the puddles harshly. 

The conversation loops in his head, honing in on the tone of voice, and picturing the agitation etched into Arthur’s face, his fists shook and the fire crackled spasticity across his forehead. _Why would he think that simply leaving would do anything? Honestly, did Arthur think they were all stupid?_  He would have grinded his teeth together, but he instead opted to snatching a rag off the counter and grind it into the puddle beneath him. What gave him the right? Does Arthur understand just _how_  worried everyone's been? Shaking his head angrily, Lewis rung the cloth tight enough to rip it in half. He frowned again, floating across the ground quickly as he tried to make his mind focus elsewhere, Such as… the oven! He hasn't cleaned the oven very well in a long time- His hair let out a satisfied hiss, and flared out when he dropped to ground level, throwing open the oven door hard enough to make the glass shatter- if he didn't halt it last second. 

 

"Besides!" having his thoughts be forced to redirect did very little to make the anger in his soul cease, beginning to ramble as he jammed into the metal cage, using his fire as a light source, _"'Going to see family.'"_  he mocked, "yeah _right!_  You're only family that vaguely cares about you is _here_. … What family would there be to want you present?" That stung, and his shoulders slumped heavily, knowing it was an unfair evaluation of his friend, but after the constant cowardice and secrets the man kept, did Lewis have any reason to think that Arthur's family would ever want him around? … That could be why Arthur was always alone with Lance, he was the only one who could stand him. Lewis shook his head and faced the grates, unhinging it and scraping off black flakes. Only to see that the metal bent under his grip. A burst of flame filled the oven before Lewis slide out, shirt covered in soot. Grinding his non existent teeth. He wrung his fists in some vain attempt at dispelling the rage. Yet nothing quelled it. 

Floating to his whole height, he scanned the kitchen for something to keep himself occupied. Snatching a sponge, he shot across the room and to the sink. There wasn't any dishes left to be washed. _Great._  Vivi was asleep, she was going to _be_  asleep for a long while too, leaving him to his own devices until he'd have to go to work again. 

He really needed an outlet. Snarling, Lewis opened on the cupboards, looking for ingredients he could use. Flour- sugar- time to make some bread. His mind raced, but he yanked out a bowl, a spoon, and several measuring cups. Already he could feel his shoulders lax. He gently poured flour into one of the cups, before repeating the action several more times, finding that focusing on the millimeters required more attention than other nuisances. Waves of frustration continued rolling off his shoulders, radiating in a sizzling waft of flames, despite being hunched over and staring daggers into the chipped numbers. He kneaded into the dough, which began to turn black and crisp in several places. When he finally noticed his fists tightened and he grit his teeth.. Flames licked and swallowed his skin, flaring up and enveloping his head. Lewis barely blinked before he was vaguely aware of the hair pressing against his skin, slicked with sweat that steamed. Arthur left- _he isn't worth your time, Lewis, if he wants to run, he can sprint a marathon for all you care!_  Lewis clenched his eyes shut. Thumbs digging into the yeast. He pretended it was flesh. He could make out every pore, every muscle and tendons- layers upon layers of blood rushing through veins. Veins bulging out and straining against his hand. Embers resting in his skull. He hissed out threats. Filled with a bitterness unlike any other- he hasn't felt this energized in _years_.

He hadn't been able to properly _deal_  with any of the rage penting under his skin since he was alive-

Since he was hunched over a steering wheel. 

Never had he felt more alive.

Fueled by one thing. One thing _alone_.

Arthur's frail body dangling over the edge of a cliff that he spent months hovering over in the midst of the betrayal. 

 

He was dead- whilst his killer- his _best friend_  was still out and about. _What would he be doing as Lewis wept over his own corpse? Holding Vivi in his arms? Watching over his sisters? Eating in the booths of his restaurant.._

 

_Living the life he stole from him-_

 

A shattering crack struck his attention, and Lewis's gaze snapped down to the bowl- dough spilling out over the table- mixing in with the glass chunks that were now laying flat against the tile- there was slivers jabbing into his skin and drawing small amounts of sizzling blood.  Lewis glared into the display. It was mocking, but the rage waned, only slightly. There was still gallons of anger wallowing through his veins. His fists shook.

 

He wanted to break something. 

 

He wanted to destroy everything in his path. 

 

Gritting his teeth, he slammed his palms flat against the counter. Before his whipped his head around and dashed across the room, nearly running into a wall. He was vanishing in and out of fog. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, growing pink fumes accumulate into puffs of rippling fog, ready to incinerate anything it consumed. How would he be able to do anything in the room full of near explosives if he was a time-bomb himself? Growling, Lewis stopped his fist from pounding into the drywall. If he did, Vivi would wake up, see the hole in the wall, and then no one would be happy. Then he'd have to explain to her why he wasn't meditating- why he was pacing around the house.

 

_If Arthur was still getting to him._

 

The air around him grew too thick, filled with super charged energy that at a small spark, would send the house up in flames, "God dammit, Arthur!" He hissed, his voice booming in his own head. This was bad. The space was too fragile, too small. He felt like a caged animal ready to frantically fight for its life. 

He needed to get outside. 

 

“Ha.. hah, perfect!” The burst of giddiness in his voice was even startling for him, “The outdoors was just what I need to relax! Maybe I could even play some soft tunes!” _Hopping_  across the room while he narrated with intricate flicks of his wrist, he reached for the door handle- pausing when he caught sight of them. The bone- plated gloves... which now made up his skin... 

 

Lewis was hopeless. He knew that, he's known it for years… He floated mindlessly to the living room. The quicker he was out out of the house and no longer putting Vivi in danger, the faster he could take out all of his frustrations out on something less destructive. If- if he could consider torching old buildings less destructive, that is. Letting out a long huff, Lewis phased directly through the wall. He didn't pay attention to the couch or blanket in his way. Only the flash of color against the light blues and browns throughout the room. Caught it long enough to deter his anger and mixing well of emotions- only to _erupt_  seconds later. A jean jacket, covered in patches and pins collected over the years, pride, and symbols, letters and silly memes. It _screamed_  Arthur. His chest convulsed. The wind knocked out of him as if someone punched him in the middle of his stomach, it may as well have been too. May be physical damage would be able to mask the emotional strife cutting into him relentlessly. His hands shot out before he could stop himself, ripping it from the coat rack by its sleeve- not paying any mind to the clattering that sounded too distant now. The faded fabric held years if use- sewn together and repaired a thousand times. 

 

Lewis could remember when Arthur first got it, the first patches he spent the entire night messily stitching into the thick material. He would wear it for days, sleep in it too. He left it. 

 

Surely he was thinking too much about it. According to everyone, Arthur had left on impulse. Simply decided to take off when going to fetch some eggs from the store, even Lance had said it was the case... at least from what Vivi has been telling him. But was that really the case? Lewis snarled, grip tightening to the point where he could hear the fabric groan under his fingers. The resided emotions reared its head again, shoving down the bubbling thoughts that swirled madly. 

 

He shouldn't be doing this. Arthur would be furious when he came back and saw that the one thing he seemed to cherish more than anything was in any way damaged. But he didn't stop. In  fact, his fist only tightened, trembling now. A thin layer of crackling sparks rolling out from underneath his grasp. Lewis glared holes into the demi, a fire standing tall and slowly devouring the material. The burnt edges curling and turning an ugly shade of rusted brown. Until the smell wafted up to his nose- lemons. Burning lemons and he couldn't stand- _He burnt Arthur's jacket._  "Sh-shit!" He gasped, flying toward the wall to get to the sink- swearing even more when it picked up. The water couldn't come out fast enough, and Lewis was practically shoving the entire thing into the space- despite the fact that only the sleeve was damaged. He didn't want to risk all of it burning up because of his own carelessness. His eyebrows furrowed intensely, splashing the too cold water onto the denim and watching as the material refused to be soaked, only getting it damp.

Lewis leaned back to take in his work- to process what he done... It was pathetic… and It felt like Arthur. Lewis blinked twice when he realized his mind was lingering too much on that thought, attempting to shake it away and redirect it somewhere else- such as, _he's going to have to let this dry before he could do **anything** to try and fix it._ Why was his mind so focused on Arthur? Maybe it was because of their phone call- or... because Lewis did just destroy part of Arthur's most valued possessions. He sighed, closing his eyes as he fished the jean jacket out, making his way to the back door, guided only by the soft moon light shining through the windows and curtains. 

The door opened with a small click and immediately he was hit with a faint wave of musk and wet grass. He glared into the night air, its breeze instantly blowing into his face and nearly knocking him over, well, that was an exaggeration, he stood just as tall as before, but he might as well have been with how scrambled his thoughts are. He clipped the jacket up on one of the lines. Unsure of how familiar the action was in relation to his thoughts. Where was Arthur right now? Was he already out of the state? Did Lewis have any real way to figure out? 

Calling him again, but after earlier, Lewis was sure he’d be ignored or shut down. Vivi was out of the question, he wouldn’t _dare_  interrupt her, not when she was cuddled so close to Mystery (someone Lewis expected to see earlier in the night, considering how much noise he’s been making). He was out of options. 

...

That wasn’t true. _He did have a way to see-_  Of course! Why didn't he think of it earlier? They had gotten it _specifically_  for when the van vanished, as a way to constantly keep track of it when they were out on the road, or on the run from malicious people- a tracker. Bounding up the back steps, lewis tried not to slam the doors or stomp too loudly as he fished his phone out of his pocket, rapidly typing in his password before typing in the second password to a hidden app. A virtual map displayed, and a cartoonish icon of the van appeared already. Lewis puckered out his lips with a huff and then zoomed out of the map to display the entire country. His eyes widened briefly, a bit more shocked than he had hoped to be. 

Kansas. Arthur was in Kansas. The van wasn't moving either. Lewis glanced up at the clock positioned beside the fridge, unable to contain the laugh the resulted from seeing it was a little before two am. Arthur was asleep! Silly him, getting so worked up over nothing! Surely in a few hours, the van would be moving again and he'd hear more news from Vivi that Arthur had added more detail to his half baked scheme and he wouldn't be back for a few days. Of course, it had to be. 

_But what if it wasn't, Lewis_. His grip momentarily tightened on the phone, if he had a little less restraint then the glass might've been shattered or its battery would have fried, but Lewis did have restraint. He shoved it into his pocket when he tried to turn away from the negative thoughts like it was bound to that one specific spot, deciding the best place to go would be the living room, surely sleeping on the couch would help clear his thoughts. Even if he didn't sleep- but the rest he got from simply laying there, reflecting over his own thoughts and deciphering his own emotions was good enough. A short and strained smile stretched painfully over his face as he sat down. The dread hadn’t let up either, rocking into him like a sea-saw when he threw his legs up to cross over the couch arm, head twisting uncomfortably in the crook of the couch. He could just close his eyes, lean back, fill his thoughts for all the activities he could do with his sisters and Vivi. If it's still bothering him, he can just call Arthur, apologize for what he's done, ask him to come back, and remind him that everyone is Tempo loved him so much. Easy. 

Lewis stared up at the ceiling, mind suddenly honing in on the suggestion to paint murals along it, Vivi suggested they did.. He overheard her gossiping it with- with Arthur. To see of he would want to help them. He did. Lewis's eyebrows started to furrow as he tried to think of what Arthur would try to paint first. _Maybe the sun, a light to fill the entire world_. It sounded cheesy enough  to only come from him. Raising a hand, Lewis traced patterns in the empty space, mapping out a mural surrounding where he'd imagine Arthur would first paint it. 

_Would he believe him?_  Lewis's hand faltered, falling back to his chest as the mural in his mind melted back to a blank ceiling. _Maybe... maybe not everything he said, but from how much everyone's blown up his phone, surely Arthur would see that there was some truth in his words…_  He let his eye's fall, wanting to imagine he'd wake up in the past, alive and well again. It was always stupid to think of those things, but Lewis needed some fantasy to keep his thoughts occupied. 

_Waking up, going to work, speaking to all the customers, trying to bring smiles to their faces. Eventually failing, but brushing it off, saying that it didn't matter too much. He didn't need to prove himself to strangers, did he? After his break, his three best friends would come storming in, with kisses and hugs, he could smell the blueberry perfume off Vivi's scarf and feel the scratchiness of Arthur's goatee on his chin-_  Lewis's eyes shot open, shoulders dropping as he jerked up. That- that wasn't right. It was Vivi who he kissed... why.. Lewis grimaced, nearly throwing himself off the couch as he tried to refocus. After work, what did he use to do after work? He... Lewis sighed, letting his feet settle heavily on the ground. _When he clocked out, usually he and Vivi would go for a walk, while Arthur would play with Mystery and take over babysitter duty. Go on long walks, breathing in the scents that he often took for granted. When he would pick some from the gardens they walked past and tucking it behind Vivi's ear. Picturing what types of flowers would look best around her head. When he brought this up to the young woman, she'd get this look on her face, determined to figure out what would look best in his hair. Before the conversation suddenly shifted to which flowers would match the orange vest their friend would wear. (”Would it be better to get plastic flowers? So that way the grease constantly covering him wouldn't kill them? No, he might appreciate having real life flowers because then he could get them pressed in a book.”) Vivi would make some remark on him being a huge sap, and then drag him back to the restaurant to find Arthur giving his sisters a lesson in mechanics and electronics, soft hacking the dishwashers. Then Vivi would leave, and he and Arthur would rush upstairs to play and goof around like kids. **They were still kids.**  They barely just graduated high school, and then they'd spend more of their afternoons together lounging in Lewis's room…_ 

Lewis scoffed, standing up and peering out of one of the windows, bitterly thinking of everything he gave a second thought to, before he realized with a hint of repulsion what was happening. His thoughts weren't scrambled. They were _themed_. It always came back to Arthur.

Arthur. 

The hopeless coward, who ran from everything. The one who ran from Texas for reasons that Lewis still didn't know, and the one that ran through his mind on repeat. Everything that vaguely reminded Lewis of him filled his thoughts. Shoulder's sinking, Lewis tried to rub out the tension gathering in his joints by digging his fingers into the pressure points. Spinning into the living room again, Lewis let out a deep sigh. He was going to be thinking about him all day, wasn't he? 

Well, if he was, then might as well get to the roots of it. 

The phone call, when Lewis finally got a hold of him. What was there to think? Arthur was always genuine around them, never did lie... intentionally at least. When he was crying over the phone there was no mocking tone that couldn't be explained by suddenly being backed into a corner. Maybe Lewis was being unfair... Arthur wouldn't just run for no reason, as much as it seemed that way. Why else would he leave?

_I haven't had the opportunity to see hope and I go every day knowing how impossibly selfish it is._

His arms stiffened against his chest, and Lewis could swear that his heartbeat was purposefully starting to race, and he glared holes into the air before him. _No, no, Lewis, now was not the time to panic._  Taking a small breath, Lewis hovered over to the couch again, plopping down and yanking out his phone. He didn't think as he put in his password, pulling up the app and letting the app refresh. The van still hasn't moved. _He's asleep, Lewis. Don't get ahead of yourself._  Another breath, and he clicked on the icon, quickly scanning all the information left on the screen. He's been in the same place for about thirty minutes, and that wasn't hard to believe, honestly, he probably should have been earlier and for much longer. However, that begs the question, what took him so long to stop? Lewis glared at the numbers again as if they were mocking him. 

_”I still want to chuck myself off a building every minute of everyday”_

His chest convulsed and he couldn’t stomach the thoughts that were biraging his head space. _Blond hair trapped under rushing waters. Blood seeping into a white shirt from a blade that cut too deep._  Throat tightening, Lewis stood up again roughly, nearly knocking over the table before he started to rush outside again- desperate for anything to keep his mind steady. Arthur wouldn't do that, he wouldn't, there was no way that he would up and leave. He wouldn't do that to Lance, or Vivi, or even the peppers! Arthur wasn't that type of man. Unless something drove him to do it. 

Unless something convinced him. Balling fists brought his mind back to reality, instantly drawing out several suspects, demons and ghouls- until he caught sight of the stark contrast of his glove and the metal plating. 

A ghost... 

A ghost could have pushed him into a space dark enough to even tempt the thought. 

_“I've had to restrain myself from crashing into the ditches on the side of the road.”_

_”Pretty difficult.”_

Lewis's throat would have tightened if he still had one, the density of the air weighing heavily on his shoulders. Before he realized it, the phone clattered against the ground, forcing him to confront the reality that was beginning to set in his mind. He quickly swiped the phone into his hands, staring at the number marking how much time Arthur had been in one position- barely forty minutes. Why is he sitting there? Shouldn't he have stopped earlier to sleep? Arthur _knows_  that staying up for too long could send him into a near coma. Swallowing back his anxiety, Lewis hovered in between the kitchen and living room, running his fingers through his hair. He sucked in more air than he possibly needed and positioned himself above the back door mat. _Arthur was fine, he would be fine- maybe just running too long on autopilot and lost track of how many hours he's been awake. Yeah, that had to be the reason!_  His foot bounced rapidly  across the floor tiles. Chuckling nervously, Lewis peered through the window pane, the doorway, and soon back to his own hand caught himself about to press the call button. Hand's stiffening, Lewis choked on his air. _Was he going to try and call him again? Not necessary, Lewis....!_   The cold metallic feel doing nothing to help calm his nerves. _Sit down, it's no big deal._  He'd be _fine_. Lewis hadn’t take two steps before his worries resurfaced, slamming into him with the force of a truck. What if Arthur _did_  run himself too thin? 

Lewis couldn't stop the images that thought supplied and before he knew it smoke was in his eyes. The panes of the van twisted into odd angles, sharp and jagged in a horrific wreck. Collided with a second car, around a telephone pole, in a ditch, crashed from above under a bridge. Fire blazing from the exposed engine. Burning around in the oil, bursting with it in giant explosions. A mangled mess that wasn't recognizable- until close enough to make out the orange paint and the familiar logo. The doors bent inward and unable to be salvaged. Smoke pouring out. Screams rising above the crackles. What would Arthur even be thinking? Eyes wide with terror as he watched the upcoming accident fill his vision in a blur. Reaching for the steering wheel- only for it to be ripped from his hands. Tearing his arms- pinning to his chest. He only could hold on and try to keep himself steady. Grasping at the seats, barely holding on. Suddenly flipped over- slamming into the wheel. Slamming into the ceiling and collapsing in on himself. _Knowing his luck, he'd be awake the entire time._  Crawling at the dashboard when the roof caves in. Feeling every bone snap under the pressure and being smacked back- bursts of smoke and ash and electricty dancing across the wheel. 

Gasping for air that wasn't there, Lewis's tore at his hair, forcing his eyes shut and snapping himself out of his paralysis. Shadow's casting from the window and screaming at Lewis- _Arthur has been driving for hours- he wouldn't stop unless he crashed or was about to.._

"Gah!" Lewis squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth as the dastardly scene played behind his eyelids over and _over_  until it was seared. Every memory of Arthur screaming in terror and fear overlapping into a cacophony of noise that was _deafening_.

_CALM DOWN!_

"Arthur isn’t dead!" He hissed, thrumming his finger's against his scalp and hurriedly taking a seat, silencing his mind, but the mechanic didn't leave in any way, "He couldn't be dead, Lewis, you're getting worked up over nothing. Think of it! He's probably crashin-" He could smack himself, and he was half tempted to as well, "probably _sleeping_  in the back of the van in Kansas, getting gas. He can't last too long awake, and he's _great_  on taking care of himself in that regard." That at least was true- even if Arthur use to spend countless nights awake, after the reason for those countless nights passed, he'd be sure to sleep- especially after Lewis returned, according to Vivi at least. Taking a deep, shuddery breath, Lewis sank into the couch, burying his face in his hands. _Would he take care of himself? Does this sudden trip count as a reason...?_  Nothing was making sense anymore, or connecting to make a single thought. 

He'd get six hours most nights for the past few months, which was better than when he'd sleep for days on end due to depression- which made it impossible to eat... He just started talking more last year, but he hasn't had any indication of slipping back to that non-verbal state. Lewis frowned more. He reached up and gingerly took hold of his anchor, which was beating frantically in tune with his own anxiety. 

It was starting to crack, there hasn't been a crack in it for a while now. Shoulder's falling, Lewis let out the breath he had been unintentionally holding- despite not needing any. He deflated into the cushions.  

_Had he done anything out of the ordinary recently?_  That might be more telling than his thoughts running rampant. Pursing his lips, he pushed the devastating thoughts of death and destruction out of his mind and instead focused on the last few days- weeks even. At any point did Arthur _mention_  anything that would tip him off in believing something was wrong. Going to work everyday, using the same jokes as he use to, no strange gift giving... Perhaps the only thing that could be considered a red flag in hindsight was the jacket hanging outside, but-... how long has it been hanging there? A week? A month? Did he even consider it to be a prized possession anymore? Grasping his hair again, Lewis leaned against the couch arm, face twisted into some kind of misery that was nearly impossible to unravel. At least not without some help... 

Vivi. 

He could ask Vivi. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so sorry it's been a while, I really dont have much excuse, but! I hope you guys are liking the direction its going~ It was super fun to write Lewis on his journey of self discovery!


	5. Car rides and CD's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lewis and Vivi have a small chat, and Arthur is woken up by a strange person.

Lewis's stomach twisted unbearably, heightened and knotting more with every object he passes through. Flashing and phasing through the furniture and walls, Lewis leaving a trail of purple particles and smoke and broken thoughts. _Why did he tell Arthur that?_  Racking his mind, he came to a blank- stuck wondering if he truly _meant_  it. Why would he mean it? Surely Arthur would knew that he never meant it... They were best friends!

 _Except they weren't._  They haven't been anywhere near friends, especially now, when Lewis turned him away, and told him to never return.. that people would _want_  the same.

What possessed him to be so cruel? Arthur was in a state of distress and loneliness and was clearly battling with something and Lewis took advantage of that, delivering a blow that was far beyond himself. But was it? Was that truly how he viewed Arthur? Arguing with himself, Lewis grits his teeth and suppressed a whine, the space around him blurring together into one mass, images repeating so much it crowded around him. A soured guilt prodding at his heart- metaphorically and physically. His anchor ached and gave off a  small, sorrowful tune. He could feel that same sorrow and guilt filling the holes in his chest with a near liquid feeling, sloshing and making him feel as if he could vomit. Thar sickness only fueled him to go faster. Now he was suddenly grateful for his ghastly and non corporeal state of body- because if he wasn't, he would have bashed his hips into everything in his desperate need to reach their room. 

Which was at the back of the corridor, farthest from the front door, Almost there.. ! Lewis could possibly break a wall with how fast he was-

A wave of head rush nearly sent him spiralling to the floor, wind rushing past him and his heart lurching forward. Dizzy, he turned his head to make out what had happened, a hand slowly making its way to the wall as his eyes slowly dropping to the floor to make out his feet planted squarely on the cold wooden surface. Why...? Lewis had halted without realizing it. His eyes drawn to the side- his hand had hit something cold and round and... In a golden banner strung across the dark wood, read 'ARTHUR'. His heart stopped. 

The shiny letters ere in green and brown, covered in messy glitter and surrounded by stars and a few tiny stickers consisting of hamsters and gears. Small little designs and decorations that Vivi had picked out and intricate designs built around it... A fun little project that took up the better of four hours when insomnia had gotten too difficult for Arthur to handle. 

Lewis couldn't remember it.

He wasn't there in the first place, although he knew they were doing _something_. He could hear Vivi giggle and shout at Arthur for getting glitter in her hair... messy and uncoordinated steps from a too loopy and too tired Arthur racing from the basement to the kitchen, laughing all the way. Lewis could faintly hear Arthur's voice just beyond the door, as if he were sitting in his bed, singing along to music or talking on the phone. More shocking, he would have heard it tonight. If Arthur was here, if he was singing along to music or rambling over the phone about a project. Now there was just a.. profound silence. It was never silent when Arthur was in the house. Before it was greatly annoying. 

Now it was the very reason Lewis's anchor trembled against his chest, leaving a single, quiet question to echo in his head.

How many other things has he missed? 

That sent a spiraling signal throughout his head, raking his memories, trying to pinpoint every time he and Arthur had a positive experience. One on one or even with Mystery and Vivi leading it. 

Lewis could only pick out a few, enough to count on his fingers. Going to the store when both were too tired to care about any sort of tension present. The first jokes they shared in the first month when they had finally reconciled. Small car rides at four in the morning because Lewis wanted to star gaze, but there was only one key, and Arthur had to go to work in two hours.. 

Everything else was... purposeful attempts to avoid one another. A multitude of times where Lewis had glared bitterly at this very banner because Arthur was hidden in the room. Since... _Lewis's presence was too intimidating._  Gaze flickering down to his hand still firmly gripping the knob, Lewis couldn't stop the gasp and the resulting yank away from the door entirely- as if he could be burnt from it. 

_His temper had grown short. Did Arthur get the brunt of that? Or were they so distant that Lewis never had the chance to._

Shoulder's trembling, Lewis held his breath and heistently reaching for the door knob again, reminding himself that _nothing is wrong, there is nothing to be afraid of_. An overwhelming tension built, squeezing his throat and making every breath a wheezing gasp.  _Just bite the bullet and open the door._  What would he get from going inside? A peak at Arthur's inner demons? A spectacle that would show Lewis the light and guide him to fixing their shattered relationship. Mind rampaging from those thoughts, Lewis almost grabbed it, before he was pulling back, his own words repeating in his head. 

 _Never come back._  

An abundance of wavering noise rose in Lewis’s mind, reminding him of everything. How he isn't answering calls, how Arthur was gone, and he isn't answering and was across the country and how all Arthur knew was that his supposedly 'best friend' wanted him _gone_. Lewis’s hands shook unbearably, his fingers unable to stop twitching.

Lewis made a mistake. 

A giant mistake. 

What has he _done?_   

"Vivi-" The door flew open, a shriek of the door handles had Vivi awake instantly. Her eyes popped open quickly, head whipping up from her pillow, face contorted in confusion and doubt. Eyes wide, she nearly clawed off the blanket and threw the pillow away. In seconds she was on her feet, stumbling and quickly readjusting to accommodate her disorientation.

"Mm-? What- what happened? Why... why are you yelling?" She scrubbed her face tiredly, squinting past her bleary vision to make out the overwhelming amount of horror and terror present in his face. He must have looked worse to her, since Lewis could barely see past the strange magenta tears whispering with smoke in his eyes. 

"Vivi, I need your help-" Lewis gasped, beginning to sputter a rapid explanation, unable to calm down even when her hands pressed against his chest. Her delicate and cold hands taking hold of his rapidly beating anchor, curling around it- trying to calm him down. If only that could stop the raging thoughts threatening to drown him.

"Alright, it's fine- things will be fine,” she whispered, hushed and confident and awake enough to take control, a hand reached up and took hold of Lewis’s cheek, and yet his thoughts raged on.  _No it's not. Nothing is okay..!_  “tell me what happened." Lewis opened his mouth but any explanation he had caught in his voice. He couldn't think straight from the way her eyes bore into him, so Vivi guided him to their bed with a gentle tug, not breaking eye contact before pushing him down to sit, then leaned over to examine his face completely.

"Lewis, look at me, take deep breaths, and slowly explain-"

Before she could make out the next syllable, everything he meant to say jumped into his throat, spilling out all at once, "Arthur's going to die-" He spouted, hands flying up and beginning to wave around in attempt to convey what his overloaded mind wanted to convey, "-might already be dead!- I made a huge mistake and he's gone now and don't know how to fix it..! He..." Vivi's eyebrows knitted together as she watched him in confusion, "He-... he could be hurt! or in danger!- and I have no clue how I am going to be able to get him back! ..or how to help him- _Gah- I've been so awful and now he's gone and I CAN'T make it up to him-"_

"Lewis!" She shot back, face angrily screwing up and watching his face go stark, eyes wide and face losing its color, pinned to his spot and breathing raggedly. The ghost swallowed tightly, grasping the sheets tightly as his tear- things dried up instantly. Hands clasped over his face, Vivi held his cheeks pointedly and held his gaze. 

"Lewis," Voice earnest, Vivi almost pressed her forehead to his, as if doing so would calm him down, "Please, do me a favor and speak calmly-" A hand then moved from his cheek to stifle a yawn, unintentionally empathizing that Lewis DID just wake her up at the ungodly hour of two am. The bags under her eyes were already forming, but she kept talking, _"calmly!_ and slowly. I can't help you if you're talking too fast!" The half hearted attempt of a laugh did little to lighten the mood, falling flat. Jaw set, Vivi's expression once again reflected lewis's. It was painted with a mix of guilt and sorrow. However, his attention kept flickering between her and the door. Vivi could hear the inaudible beat of lewis's anchor against his chest, irregular beating that guided her own heart. Along with the rise of her blood pressure. Lewis opened his eyes and tried to talk- but only to blankly stare at her, at a loss for words. Giving Vivi enough time for the words to sink into place. Vivi's face twisting with dread, and she silently began to speak, "What do you mean Arthur's dead?" 

Lewis hands threw up, about to grasp her shoulders before hesitating. Instead his fists nearly went white from gripping the empty air between them. Voice exploding in a burst of warm and rushing energy, "I made a crucial- horrific mistake, and I'm t-terrified that Arthur may- he might do something irrational, or-or get hurt-!"

"Why would he do something irrational?" Vivi shot back instantly, her dread rising and frenziedly doubling from the guilt in his eye. Simple predictions for why he would be irrational was far from comforting. 

"Well...!" he was grasping for anything out of midair- literally and metaphorically- and he swallowed tensely, knowing the silence was making their anxieties worse. Blinking rapidly, Lewis carded his hand through his hair, but he needed to come clean and make up for his actions. At least take the steps to do so, "I... I told him... to... " eyebrows knitting as he nervously watched Vivi, Lewis swallowed and braced himself, knowing the second he admitted this, he would be murdered a second time. "I told him to never come back to Tempo." 

...

...

...

Every beat throbbed painfully through his chest, threatening to shatter to pieces. Honestly, Lewis couldn't figure it out whether it was from the overwhelming tension or Vivi's blank stare. Both may as well be the death of him. 

...

 _"...What?"_  Her voice was hushed, commanding a silence to fill the entire house. Lewis could possibly hear a pin drop from down the hall, except he couldn't possibly focus on that. Instead he waited for his anchor to snap as she slowly pieced it together. Each second it seemed to fall more and more into place, lips curling back into a snarl. Her eyes sharpened to a glare, and soon, she hissed, "You did what?"

"I told him to le-"

"NO! I heard that-" she snapped, spitting as he did, before he was forced to his feet, fisting his collar, "You told him to leave? And what- _shit."_  Vivi turned away, digging into her pocket and dialing a number, Arthur's number. Holding the phone to her ear, pinning Lewis to his spot with fury in her eyes. Which only intensified with every ring. _No one picked up._  Holding in a shaking breath, Lewis’s gaze flashed from the bed to the carpet, honing in on the rings when Vivi tried a second time, murmuring under her breath how _unlike him_  it was. A rattling heartbeat rose into his ears. Deafening him. Why won’t he pick up? Was he hurt? In danger-

Vivi’s eyes pinned him to his place, silence piecing him with it. Already figuring out the most logical explanation for the lack of response, and to calm Lewis down, she quickly answered his unspoken question, “Lewis, calm down. He’s probably sleeping.” Upon the final ring, Vivi stifled a yell of frustration into her shoulder before raising her voice so it was calm and clear into the speaker. 

“Arthur, it’s Vivi. I know you may be sleeping right about now, but we need to talk as soon as you wake up. This is urgent. Goodnight.” 

The phone hit the bed side table with a rough clattering. Lewis hated how it made him flinch. 

“You have some explaining to do, this very second, Lewis.” 

“I’m... ah..” at a loss for words, Lewis fingered the edges of his shirt nervously. There was no excuse for it. Needless cruelty and banishment was far from acceptable, and even more so in Vivi’s eyes. The amount of dread welling in his stomach made Lewis sick, but it didn't compare to the bone chilling anxiety that came with confronting the consequences of his own actions. Swallowing needlessly, Lewis carefully chose his words carefully. 

“I was holding onto old grudges, and Arthur go ca-... no, they were all against Arthur, and the incident.” If he were still alive, Lewis was sure he’d feel a rush of blood and the strain in his jaw. He wasn't though, he needed to let go- c'mon this is about you it's for Arthur. 

Crossing her arms, Vivi quirked a brow. If he didn’t say it quickly, her patience would run thin, so he shoved down his guilt and sputtered, “When Arthur finally picked up, I was angry and stressed- he left without warning and it seemed like he wasn’t going to say anything-! I didn’t know what to think-“

VIvi's voice strained, “We got that part, you were mad, Arthur was mad too,” _make it quick._  Deep breaths, deep breaths- Arthur’s not dead. He’s _not_  he can’t be..! 

Car crash. Dangling from his seatbelt. Buried in a ditch- buried in _ash-!_  

He’s choking now, “Yes- I was upset! I- he told me his story... I thought it was an excuse- a reason for him to leave and never come back.” _Choking on his own teeth and blood, pinned to the steering wheel._  “I didn’t think, I _wasn’t thinking_  and I didn’t stop to consider if he was truthful.” They were lies, Lewis figured, that's all he ever did. Constant doubting, even if Arthur stayed up all night working on gifts or projects, an unwilling aspect of Lewis always assumed the very worst of him. "And- and...! I.... I didn't want to consider that he was honest or.. I thought maybe he was doing this for-" It sounded so much worse, now under pressure and forced to evaluate his initial assumptions....! "For.. attention.. It was awful of me, I feel _horrific_  and I'm plagued with what could possible happen to him and-"

"So you told him to _leave?"_  The weight of those words struck into his core, and Lewis flinched once again, a swarm of guilt hitting him all at once. 

"... To.. to not give him the satisfaction of... of...." 

Vivi was staring at him, almost as if she's about to give up on him entirely. Her disappointment and.. disgust, was immense and obvious. He could barely handle it. Unable to think of the words that would help him explain himself- no, _no_  he didn't deserve an excuse. He didn't deserve anything!

"Hold that thought," Vivi said, releasing a wave of anxious relief in not forcing his jumbled mess of heightened emotions to function correctly, and Lewis curled his arms against his chest in worry, "I’m going to grab Mrs. Pepper, call Arthur again," She snapped her fingers toward the bed, "Stay put.” She hissed, and commanded his legs to move. Lewis ungraciously plopped down, eyeballing her nervously. A thousand emotions swarming in his eyes, clouded with doubt and glimmering with the same swarming anxiety as before. This time, his eyes dropped down to the carpet, seemingly making out every detail... Like a kid awaiting a punishment. It would've been sweet or amusing if she didn't have to worry about Arthur taking Lewis's words to heart. Too wrapped up in that worry, Vivi didn't notice the look of determination steeling itself over his face. Taking quick steps out of the room, Vivi barely got halfway up the stairs when a flurry of footsteps barreled past her, followed by a burst of heat racing up her spine. Skin prickled, eyes wide- Vivi swirled her head around to see the small gray car in the driveway rev to life. The giant ghost of a man squeezed into the front seat. Rapid pink flames bursting from the exhaust pipe. A blackened and rose themed design repaints the existing paint job. Gasping, Vivi yelped and tried jumping the distance to the front door- nearly tumbling and crashing into the window sill. Vivi barely had a moment to process the crash resulting from the chair in front of the living room window being overturned, instead, peering outside. Rapid breathes fogged up the glass, and Vivi could only stare as she watched her boyfriend race down the street. 

"God.... dammit."

 

Arthur rolled onto his back, stretching his arm over his head in a vain attempt to force the aches throughout his back out without moving. He whined softly when the strains amplified. Eye's snapping open when a rattle rushed to his ears. Blinking, Arthur slowly glanced to the window, wondering if maybe he left a window open...? Or perhaps he just left a door open- wouldn't be the first time he did so. Groaning, he bitterly reminded himself to _never_  do that again, and started to push himself up. The stiffness in his sides protested angrily against his movements, but Arthur jolted to shoulder blade quickly to make it cooperate. Softly sighing, Arthur cracked open an eye and turned to the door. The darkness of the van encapsulated him, and if he was anymore awake, he would have tried to focus on the dead memories lingering through the antiques and scents and filling his lungs with the innate need to drive home and expose the reality of his soul- 

The rattling shook the frame of the van, a drawn out scrape snapping Arthur's attention up to the box of chests and totems - and even more daggers collected from old cultists - shaking violently and threatening to fall from the violent shaking that was _definitely_  not the wind. Gasping, he shot up. The blanket flew out and nearly tripping him as he shoves the crate back in place, nearly slicing his hand in the process. Huffing past a short gasp, Arthur held the crate there until the intense shaking stopped. 

It finally slowed long enough for Arthur to glare out the window again, "Who the fuck blew up something at _Walmart?"_   Sighing, Arthur flopped back onto the mattress, his eyes beginning to fall shut again. T hen the rattling began _again_. This time more forceful and deliberate to be outside fighting (Which would have been weird in itself, considering that he can't hear anything else.) R eady to push himself up so he can shoo away the hitchhiker- or police officer.. hopefully not that, Arthur groaned. The intense need to sleep was catching up to him rapidly, and that's even more apparent from the desperation dragging at his eyelids. A thick static played behind his eyes as Arthur squinted through the darkness. Except he didn't have to glare long until-

"Good evening~" A cheerful voice called, muffled by the thin wall of metal and the various junk stuck between them, and when it didn't receive a response, it started again, "Excuse me? I know I have your attention. My friend and I are in desperate need of help. Will you open your heart to a couple of poor, lost souls such as ourselves?" Loud and abrupt, Its voice was light and gravely, shifting rapidly between the two, combined with an unnatural echo reserved for only the windiest caves and faulty autotune. Arthur slammed his face into the pillow, bitterly muttering. 

"Just my luck," At least he now had an explanation for his skin crawling, instead of centipedes and spiders it was just electrical impulses that seemed to radiate from the person outside. He's gotten pretty use to the side effects of being in the proximity of untrustworthy bastards they called ghosts. Of course- ghosts were lost souls who just desired some help- but the persistent rattling drilling into his ears did very little to make them sympathetic. Speaking of which, it was growing increasingly violent. Only fueling his anger more and more. 

"Get!" He shouted, slamming his foot against the van’s wall, the surrounding nicknacks shaking from the force, "I am not in the mood to deal with this right now. If you need anything- go haunt someone else!" Grumbling bitterly to himself, he plopped down on the pillow- groaning when he closed his eyes and wasn’t forced into the deep and impossibly long sleep he knew he wasn’t going to get. Instead, the silence permitted only a twinge of restful energy, but only a twinge. Arthur clenched his eyes shut, a scowl ripping across his face when he glared into the pillow, and in that moment he was positive he would slaughter if he didn’t get back to restful sleep. Seconds passed, each one fueling more of Arthurs agitation. Even more so when coupled running into another ghost, in fact, ghosts seem to be his main problem as of late.

Two seconds pass before his gaze trained directly onto the one source of light in the van, the dusty and scratched window, which was now blocked by two glowing eyes and an even larger puffy mass surrounding it.

A cloud? A trusty leaf blower could get the job done, if Arthur had one to begin with, and since that was out of the question, Arthur settled to glaring harsh daggers into the things very soul. Partially out of need to glare at the ghost- but also because his gaze was instantly drawn to it. 

Great. 

It was alluring. Or at the very least it had the ability to draw in others like a vacuum. And it was trying to get Arthur out. How convenient.

Why? Arthur didn't have much, unless this strange spirit wanted his depression, anxiety and the abundance worth of self loathing. If that was the case, all it had to do was ask! He'd give it up in a heartbeat! All of his other senses seemed to dim, honing directly at the glowing points. Even the rattling of charms against a dream catcher was muted. Nothing could distract Arthur, nor could anything break his trance. 

He may be stuck here. 

Lovely. 

_Best to get it over with._

Propping himself on his elbows, Arthur just barely moved fast enough to catch the ghost's pupils dilate with interest.

Clearing his throat once, Arthur rasped, “What do you want-" Except his half hearted attempt was quickly silenced by a screech stabbing into his ears, and he shoved his head into his pillow. A growl built in his throat, masked by his grinding teeth before Arthur forced himself to nearly lunge at the the door. Metal arm slamming into the metal hard enough to halt whatever the ghost was doing, but despite its retreat Arthur unlocked the door haphazardly. Ducking to dodge falling objects from the intense shaking, and Arthur was more than eager to give the ghost a piece of his mind. 

The ghastly fog surrounding the van dispersed. Kicked up from the velocity of the doors flying open, it's hinges whining from the unnecessary force. Disregarding his usual worry for his van, which he KNOWS he'll treat right and fix up after this, Arthur pinpointed the starry frilled afro and the even straighter stick like figure- skeletal- now stiffened and bug eyed. 

"SHUT UP!" He screeched, blazing so much that fire could be burning against his shoulders, "Some people are trying to SLEEP! So do me a _big_  favor and get the _fuc-"_ The bug eyed ghost (Was it wearing goggles?) shifted from fear to ludicrous and cartoonish amount of offense.

"LANGUAGE!" Fog raising, Arthur's voice cut out instantly, trapped in his own chest from the booming and piercing voice ringing through his ears, "There are _children_  here! Don't you have ANY decency?" They shot back, palming their hip with a stereotypical attitude, radiating an annoying amount of sass. 

Arthur could _feel_  his baffledness increase tenfold. And yet, despite how much his heart wanted to give out, to just turn back and just wait it out with makeshift ear plugs, he still couldn't stop his half dead brain from humoring this spirit even more, "Oh yeah? That so?" The spirit bobbed it's head, seemingly pleased "Where are they then?" The ghost's eyes popped open slightly and Arthur resisted the urge to break the resulting silence and laugh and taunt them further. Sporting a smug grin and hanging off the edge of the landing, Arthur gripped the door handles and started to drag them back.

"Well I'll say!" The ghost snarled, bring Arthur's attention back, eyes narrowing again as a new spike of bitterness grown, more or less suffering from the crash of his anger burst. He was going to collapse at any given moment at this point, even more so if he tried to figure out whatever emotions were racing through him, (Seriously, what on earth was with all of his emotions? "You most certainly are RUDE! We're starving out here!!" 

"Eh, I don't particularly care, not until that sun has risen and there about eight other people awake. But right now, its _four am"_

"Two."

"That's not helping anyone case, dipshit." The shifts in emotional state- whether it be from this spirit or his insomnia- would be the death of him. "I feel bad, I really do- but I am not available to help every hitchhiking ghost I come across-" Wow, he really has become rude over these past few days, it was just a spirit, probably looking for help... and here he was, being unnecessarily cruel. The weight of guilt firmly latched onto his shoulders, eyes glazing over to the tall- disco man ghost, until he sighed miserably. Reciting all the mindfulness books they had gotten for Lewis before and released all of his anger, Arthur sagging in defeat. A hand dragging across his cheek and perching at his chin as he let everything sink in. 

"Act-" Any thought to redeem himself in the eyes of the spirit was quickly halted by a small... whine? Arthur's head slowly turned his attention to the front of the van. Ominous black shadows seemed to dot his vision, white speckles following as he tried to make out the distinction for each part of the seats and windshields. Prickles of dread rose across his arms as he studied it, still. His body tensed, the quiet mixed with the unusual noise giving him a sense that a jump scare was on its way, as unlikely as it was. Those only happened in movies and video-

The wind left him instantly. His back slammed against the ground. A cough caught in his throat and left Arthur unable to breath. All around him was white specks that twinkled and shined- stars.. Those are called stars, and Arthur is staring at them. He blinks slowly and traces a few blurry and racing constellations- the spinning doing him no favors. His memories unfolding and returning to him far too slow.

_He was tricked- and now, probably stranded!_  Wait- too quick to determine that. Gritting his teeth, Arthur forced himself to his feet, clawing at the ground and he attempted to launch himself into the van, prepared to fight to the death in order to get rid of this ghost. Although- with how many times he runs into these undead beings, they may as well be _pests_. He barely managed to take a running step when his speakers blasted- shrilling from the intensity. He hit his knees in an instant, eyes clenching. Hands smacking against his ears. The noise rage against his unprotected eardrums enough to make tears come to his eyes. Except the horns blare was loud enough to grab the attention of everyone in a twenty mile radius, and Arthur's heart leapt into his throat as it became abundantly clear. 

Forcing himself to crack an eye open, Arthur's head swiveled around, barely making out the taillights from several other cars before Arthur stiffened even more. _He cannot go to jail, absolutely not! Especially not over some ghost like this one! Okay- let's just... negotiate with it?_  Arthur panickedly spewed, probably a ton of garbled noises in his vain attempt to make up speech. 

"God!" Two gigantic feet slam before him. It’s stamp stealing the breath out Arthurs throat, squeezing until all he could push out was a wheeze. Arthur snaps up, eyes bulging to take in the shimmering demien material covering its body. Bell bottoms flaying out like dinner plate shaped disks-  _saws?!_  Arthur screeches and tumbles back. The being before him shines like a beacon of light, reflecting the moon like disco ball and its own light glimmers beneath its flying clothes. Not that Arthur could see past his squinted eyes.  "Aren't you _boring?_  Look at this!" Its cape flies out glowing and shining with a rainbow surrounding them. Arthur gasps, scrambles to cover his face and chest with his arm- braced for spikes and impact. Only when small clacks sounded pathetically did he peek through his arm's. 

..... His cd's? 

Arthur’s chest and heart tenses with an unwavering confusion, flickering back to the ghost just in time to see it's skull twist in mocking anguish, "Who even _are_  these people?" It claimed, filing through a few, "Forever, one of us, _Mystery Skulls?_  What _is_  that?" The weight of tension in his shoulders must have been unbearable because Arthur could feel the exact moment when his body sagged down and nearly forced him back into an exhaustion fueled coma. 

"So.... you're telling me, you did _all that_.... over a _music collection?"_  If they were at all annoyed by Arthur's exasperation, it didn't say anything. Instead, it tapped one of the now cracked cases and flings it over his shoulder. 

"Tsk, none of _this_  will do... but~ There is something you can do for me-" Arthurs heart dropped at the twisted crack of the skeleton. His breath picks up, scooting back as the ghost moves closer, reminded of the familiarity of the action.

"No, no, nonono!" The ghost glanced disinterestedly at him, clicking its bony fingers and quirks an eyebrow while Arthur spat, a mischievous twinkle in his eye, "I will not be doing _ANYTHIN-"_

A swallowing breath of air was the first hint that something was about to go horribly _horribly_  wrong, tasting oddly of metallic juice and... alcohol? Arthur barely got a taste before the fog pouring out of his van- growing in volume and definition - _Surrounds them both in a circle of smoke and static_. Arthur's mind blanks, wanting to ask how he missed that. Even if that was pretty obvious by now, he would have noticed that bit sooner, if not for his fried nerves and lack of sleep, but now that he did, his heart slammed irregularly against his chest. His head whips over just in time for the walls of fog to envelope them both entirely, leaving him no chance to try to escape. Or think, because all half baked ideas shooting out of his frazzled head was halted by a burn. Arthur nails rip into the dirt. A foreign and sickly presence claws its way through every part of his body, tearing through his nose and throat and stealing away his ability to breath. A scream lodged itself in his throat, barely making past the invading masses.

This was it. This is how he dies. Suffocation by large glitter ghost. He'll never meet his kid- who he may not even be able to adopt, or meet his northern cousins. Never be able to eat pizza and watch football or show off how much of a nerd he was when it came to the inner workings of a car. Never be able to apol-

"...Ew." 

.... _What?_  Arthur's shoulders shifted uncomfortably, moving sporadically- like he was testing out too tight shoulder pads. Except he wasn't doing it. 

"I feel sorry for anyone who has ever had the audacity to meet you- you feel revolting!" His own voice erupted, hands raising to his chest while a shiver of disgust rolled over his entire body. Legs kicking out, Arthur stared down at the ground and slightly rolled his foot over- his soles shiney and covered in a glittering sheen that made the tips look golden. Similar to his golden pants- or- sequence? The fuzzy material shimmered and switched between a dark rich orange and a pastel yellow when he ran his fingers through it, earning a hum of delight that was c _learly_  not from himself. 

"Well~ On the bright side!" The same, distorted version of his own voice rang, taking in the silver bubble pattern on his nails- WHERE'D THAT COME FROM? "Now~ We're going to be meeting one of my really, _really_  good friends! I promise- you'll love them!"

 


	6. Some bad news... ?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long story short, it’s the death of this version of Arthur’s alone now.

Hello! Eage here! 

So I bet you’re wondering what this chapter is,

Long story short, it’s the death of this version of Arthur’s alone now. That’s right, I’m going to stop writing for this version of it, and instead, write a new one! A newer and more revamped version at least.

Some scenes will be the same and there will be the common factors of “road tripping with a side of adventure.” 

You see, When I first started this story, I had a good idea of what I wanted, for Arthur to go off on his own and… adopt a child. 

Fun right?

Well, after a long while of working it out and adding more to it so it’s complex and layered. I realized that with the direction I want to take this story, the current structure I have is pretty wonky and a lot of the major plot points wouldn’t have much ground unless I worked harder and longer to go around these issues and…. I don’t have the time or energy to do so. 

So therefore, I’m just gonna do it all over again, this time outlining it and actually figuring out what I want to do with it. 

Thank you all so much for following this story to its current place, I know I left it on a cliffhanger but I hope that next time those cliffhangers will be a lot more impactful. 

Thank you all sp much for reading this far, the support and love it had gotten is truly amazing. ^^


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